About Greg Seidel

"During my 2015 campaign, I was asked if I was going to change if I were elected. I have made it a point to be consistent, honest and fair, just as I have always been. Leading by example has always been important to me and I hope that you will continue to allow me to do so.”

In Greg’s words, “I feel I have been called to serve. I grew up in this area, and have seen a lot of change. In my opinion, the major issues facing our city during this term will be in transportation, economic development, and quality of life. As someone who has been directly involved in transportation and water-related engineering for decades, I bring a solid grasp of the current and long-term implications of the decisions facing our City. I believe we can hold on to what Winter Parkers hold dear and move the city forward, if we ask the right questions, gain consensus, and keep our priorities clear.”

Greg's BackgroundGreg is an owner of a civil engineering and economic consulting firm in Winter Park; the firm employs 20 professionals in an office just off Park Avenue.As one who started a company from scratch, he understand the decisions that face business owners and business investment decisions.He has also lived and worked overseas, and in many communities in Florida and other states; he has experienced other approaches to community issues, and has developed an open mind and even-keeled style to achieve consensus on important decisions.

Greg graduated from Lake Mary High School.He earned his Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering at Lehigh University, and after gaining Florida experience, returned to Lehigh to gain his Masters of Science in Civil Engineering.He and his wife moved to Sydney, Australia and he worked in Australian engineering, advancing his experience.Along with two other partners, they now own and operate an Australian arm of their firm.

Greg and his wife have two children.As a concerned parent, Greg joined the School Advisory Council at Glenridge Middle School, and has been consistently engaged.Among the ideas he brought forward to the SAC was a summer reading program for rising sixth grade students with below-grade reading levels; the program was implemented (by others) successfully to benefit primarily lower-income students.

Greg attends First United Methodist Church, and is an ardent supporter of Children’s Home Society. He and his wife have supported charitable organizations in arts and history, animal welfare, and child welfare.

As a father, Greg has come to know his daughter’s friends from all parts of the city. Winter Park has an amazing mix of demographics, which is part of its charm. Maintaining opportunity for all residents of the city is important to maintaining the identity of Winter Park.

How I see it:Priorities for Winter Park

Transportation.I believe the traffic congestion in the city has reached a point that upsets residents and traffic technology that realistically accounts for regional traffic influences, and working with our neighboring communities, is planned is a priority. Now that we have a transportation advisory board, we need to start funding improvements.

Smart Economic Development. A healthy economy provides opportunity at many levels of the income scale.Smart development can protect quality of life, respect community context, and advance community goals. As the owner of a firm that does work for NASA, I understand the need to attract and retain the best and brightest. The incredible pool of young talent and human capital in our city is an important asset we must continue to nurture and grow.

Protecting our Quality of Life. As Commissioner, my job is to ensure that Winter Park continues to be the best place to live, work and raise a family. This means ensuring our green spaces are protected, public safety and public services are the best in the area, and we continue to attract young families and entrepreneurs to our great city. How we allocate our resources is a reflection of our priorities,

- This includes Accelerating the Undergrounding.The City of Winter Park spent $50 milliion to purchase its electric utility from Progress Energy (now Duke Energy), with the promise of undergrounding wires to protect the beloved tree canopy and reduce storm outages. During the last year, the city changed our electric contractor and developed a new strategy for undergrounding which includes a hardened system for better reliability. During the next year, we will have better cost estimates which I hope will allow us to bond and accellerate the undergrounding.

As your Commissioner, I have supported, and will continue to support these issues:

additional police officers

the new library

reasonable evaluation of the millage rate vs. needs of the residents

improved transportation management

accelerated electric undergrounding

more efficient govenment

Showalter Field improvements

golf course refurbishing

responsive government

long term planning

Political advertisement paid for and
approved by Greg Seidel for Winter Park City Commissioner